February 9, 2011

Now that the groundhog has forecast an early spring, it's time to finalize your plans for the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run®. Race weekend, April 1-3, is fast approaching and will be here before you know it!

Register Your Race Teams Online

The team registration process has gone green! New online registration procedures

Race teams have become a tradition during the run; now you can register them online. Here are a few things to remember before you register yours:

• All race team members must first be individually registered to run the race (entry completed, individual entry fee paid, etc.)
• Teams must consist of 3-5 runners and have both male and female members.
• A minimum of three runners on the team must finish in order for the team to be scored, and scoring runners must consist of male and female members (i.e., no all-men's or all-women's teams).
• Credit union team members must be members of the credit union forming the team.

Ready to register your team? Follow this two-step process:

Step 1: Creating a Team

A team must be created and the team entry fee paid before runners can be entered. Prospective team captains should visit the Team Tools page to create their teams.

If this is the first 2011 team you are creating as a team captain, you will need to “Create a Profile.” If you have already registered another team for the 2011 race‚ you will be asked to provide your user ID and password. Profiles, user IDs and passwords from previous years are not retained.

Once you have created your profile as a team captain‚ you may create your team. Please note these important team policies:

• Creating a team and paying the team entry fee does not register any team member for the race. It only creates a team shell where individual runners can be placed.
• A single team captain may create more than one team.
• You will select the team division for Credit Unions.
• You will pay the team entry fee of $40 per team.

Note: The team fees are in addition to the individual runner entry fee of $37.

Step 2: Placing Runners on a Team

Team captains will place runners on teams by using the “Manage Teams” function available when Team Captains log in at the Team Tools page.

When clicking the “Manage Teams” option‚ the team captain will be able to search for individually registered runners and “draft” them onto the team. The rules regarding the placement of runners on teams are as follows:

• Each prospective team member must already be registered in the race.
• Only team captains may place registered runners on a team or remove them from a team. Those actions must be accomplished through the “Team Tools” function.

Volunteer Registration Deadline Fast Approaching

Please remember that you must register your volunteers by March 1, 2011, as well as your race entries and team entries. Michelle Carter, the Cherry Blossom Volunteer Coordinator, has sent each sponsor credit union a web link, user name and password so that they can register their volunteers online by the deadline. Need more information? Contact her at michelle@cherryblossom.org.

Is Your Credit Union up to the Fundraising Challenge?

Each year our credit union sponsors compete in a fundraising challenge to see who can raise the most money through organizational and member donations. Donations will be accepted through April 30, 2011.

The 2010 challenge winners were:

• Constellation FCU - Credit Union Member Donation Challenge Winner through its iPad drawing.
• Department of Labor FCU - Credit Union Organizational Donation Challenge Winner through its skip a payment program.

Need fundraising ideas? Visit our Fundraising Ideas page to find information about CUs for Kids chocolate candy bars, Snuggle Up for Kids t-shirts, Got a Dollar flyers, etc. Be sure to let us know of your fundraising activities by emailing us at info@cucherryblossomrun.org.

Runners Use Online Fundraising Site

Participation on our fundraising site continues to increase. Nearly 400 runners and their friends have raised almost $76,000 to date and many have already reached their $500 goal.

Be sure your runners, families, friends and members know that they can make donations on behalf of individual runners or teams through this site. A limited number of runners can also earn race entries by raising $500 through the site. Encourage everyone to visit it to help us reach our online fundraising goal of $200,000. Click here for an online fundraising web banner to use on your website.

Cherry Blossom “Buzz” Increasing

As we move closer to race day, our efforts to get the word out about the event and our fundraising activities will be stepped up. Some of the ways we are creating buzz include:

• Facebook
  We are happy to report that we will launch a new Facebook page soon. This social media tool will help create a buzz among the 15,000 runners about fundraising online. Special thanks go to CUNA Mutual Group for underwriting this initiative.
• Live Video Streaming and Lobby Videos
  This year the race will be covered live on our websites. We are also developing short videos for sponsors to place on their websites or in their lobbies to publicize the race. Look for more information in future newsletters.
• GAC Booth - Stop by and See Us!
  Attending the CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference, February 27-March 2? Stop by our booth (#452) in the Washington Convention Center.

Sponsor News

• Missouri Credit Union Association
• MGIC

We would also like to thank DigitalMailer for upgrading its sponsorship from Friend to Champion!

Key Race Dates to Remember

Mark these key dates on your calendar:

• Tuesday, March 1, 2011 - Race and team registration closes. All volunteers must also be registered by this date.
• Friday, April 1, 2011 - Race Weekend Kick-Off with Special Event and Press Conference at the Children's National Medical Center.
• Saturday, April 2, 2011 - 15,000 runners converge on the Annual Health and Fitness Expo at the historic National Building Museum to pick up their packets and T-shirts.
• Sunday, April 3, 2011 - The 39th running of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, starting on the Washington Monument grounds. Easy access via Metro from the Smithsonian Station (Yellow and Blue Lines).
• New! Friday, June 10, 2011 - 10th Anniversary Awards Luncheon at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Alexandria, Va.

Still have questions about the Cherry Blossom Run events? Check out all the resources available at www.cucherryblossomrun.org. View the 2010 race video, marketing materials and the 2010 Yearbook and get fundraising ideas.

Sarah Turner Director, Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc.